Shishito peppers are spicing up Australian menus more and more — they’re currently on menus at Gimlet in Melbourne, Supernormal and Bar Miette in Brisbane and Good Luck and The Surf Deck in Sydney. They’re a Japanese veggie in the capsicum family that look like wrinkled jalapenos but taste less spicy — though they’ve still got a kick.
“We grill our shishito peppers over charcoal or using wood embers, then dress them with plenty of sherry vinegar while they’re still hot,” says Colin Mainds, head chef of Gimlet. “Currently, we drape over thin slices of lardo — cured pork fat — allowing it to melt into the peppers. The salty, sour and fatty flavours work well together.”
The Surf Deck fries the peppers for about a minute, finishing them on the Hibachi until they blister and char. They’re topped with sesame black vinegar dressing and a spicy sourdough crumb. At Good Luck, they’re served on top of a yuzu mayo and dusted with dried seaweed powder. And Supernormal, they’re presented in a couple ways.
“We’re serving shishito peppers pickled with nori and sesame and also fried with lime and sansho seasoning,” says Supernormal and Bar Miette’s executive chef Jason Barratt. “They’re also delicious braised in soy and ginger, accompanying a wonderful cut of beef. At Bar Miette, above Supernormal, we serve them straight from the grill.”
Barratt’s favourite way to eat them is fried, served as a starter with an ice-cold Asahi. He says they pair well with any ingredient with a touch of acidity as it offsets the sweetness — “though from time to time, you can come across a hot one, so watch out”.
All chefs agree: shishito peppers are versatile. Some ingredients they work well with are grilled meat or fish, soft cheese and nuts, but they’re also great as a simple snack. Another reason for their recent popularity is that they’re readily available right now.
Sydney and Melbourne restaurants can get them from local farms and growers January to March, and outside of that, Queensland growers have supply most of the year. This makes them part of the well-established dining trend of focusing on seasonal produce and explains their place on menus at the moment — they’re in peak season.
“Also, mild peppers are becoming more popular in Australia,” says Mainds. “We’re seeing more varieties from local growers — frigatello, Anaheim, guindilla and Turkish. Shishitos are certainly popular now but growers offer many pepper options.”
Zoe Scott, head chef of The Surf Deck, grabs shishitos to cook for dinners at home at Tokyo Mart in Sydney’s Northbridge. She says their versatility means they’ll stick around on menus. “They tap into the trend of sharing or snacking plates, which has long been popular among Melbourne’s Asian community,” Scott says.
Barratt says there isn’t much to shishito peppers’ popularity. “I wouldn’t overthink it,” he says. “It’s a simple pepper that has made a mark on the restaurant industry as it’s easy to grow and is cost effective and extremely delicious.”
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